Early in the morning, when Hedwig saw a strange girl at home, she couldn't hide the surprise on her face.
"She is the child of a prisoner and escaped from there." Chen Yi told her everything about last night.
"Such a young child has to be..." Hedwig couldn't help but feel sad and angry, "My Lord."
"Hello sister, may you be protected."
Anne half-raised her head to look at Hedwig. This sister didn't look real. Her phantom-like appearance aroused Anne's curiosity. She wanted to stretch out her hands, but she still kept her hands calmly behind her back.
"Annie, your name is Anne, right? I am Hedwig Pune," Hedwig squatted down and asked worriedly: "What are you going to do next? Do you want to stay in our house?"
Anne shook her head: "I really want to stay at your house, but my mother asked me to go to the church in the town, find the priest there, bring this little icon to him, and then listen to his arrangements."
As she spoke, she took out a small thumb-sized silver icon from her pocket.
Looking for the priest in the town... Chen Yi and Hedwig looked at each other. They are both true believers and would know the priest. Chen Yi also goes to mass on weekdays and is also familiar with Father Manuel. , he is not from Kirsch, but from the Deschanel Empire. He has been presiding over the church for more than 20 years. He is usually serious and does not tolerate children being restless during mass.
He is also a doctor for the True believers, and he can be seen from time to time going to villages and towns in the barony to practice medicine and preach.
"If you want to find Father Manuel, I can take you there." Chen Yi said.
Anne nodded, smiled at them with raised corners of her lips, and offered her blessings in an educated manner.
Taking advantage of the opportunity for morning prayers, Chen Yi led Anne out. She put an extra square scarf on her head. Although scarves are often worn by married women, children, especially girls, are also covered with scarves when praying. It is not uncommon to see it as a symbol of piety.
In the backyard of the church, I watched Anne being led by the monks to the priest.
Chenyi saw Manuel staring at the small silver icon in her hand for a long time, and kept confessing sins to the gods.
Then, Manuel turned back and said to Chen Yi: "Thank you for bringing my sister's child here. Thank you, my Lord and the gods will bless you."
He said, pinching three fingers together and making a ring salute.
After Chen Yi returned the greeting, he saw Annie waving goodbye to him.
He smiled, waved, and turned to leave.
Going to jail...
After walking out of the church, Chen Yi sighed.
Those true believers will be escorted over soon.
Chen Yi rushed to the prison in the town early.
"The group of prisoners will be taken here in the afternoon." Outside the narrow corridor, the belated financial controller explained to him, "A group of true believers... all you have to do is write down their names, including Height, gender, crime, region, etc., remember, one copy for each language."
The financial controller pointed to a jailer and said: "Xisen is an old man here. You can ask him where things are and where they should be placed."
The pagan named Xisen gave Chen Yi a friendly smile.
Sitting in the warden's room made of bricks and stones, Chen Yi thought about being released from prison not long ago and couldn't help but have mixed feelings.
"Xisen, where are the ink and linen paper for registration?" Chen Yi asked.
"Clerical, in the second compartment in the second row behind you, there are red and black ink, quill pens and reed pens. In the compartment above it is the paper for registering prisoners. You generally don't need to worry about the box next to the cabinet. That’s a document issued by the territorial court.”
Xisen introduced them in an orderly manner, and Chen Yi dug out half-used red ink and black ink from the cabinet. The former was made from mahogany chips mixed with vinegar and gum, and the latter was made from charcoal mixed with gum.
Chen Yi looked through the previous prisoner registration form. The so-called linen paper used for registration actually did not have standard lines or boxes on it. The paper was blank, but the back of the paper was more yellow than ordinary paper.
"The name is at the top, then gender, region, and height are listed in a row, and then the charges are listed at the bottom... Well, I probably understand." Chen Yi took the two registration forms and compared them.
"Clerical, in addition to these, I also have to talk about some prison rules." Sisson coughed.
Chen Yi listened attentively.
Immediately afterwards, Hesson began to talk about the customary rules in the prison. Prison guards must visit the cells once before curfew and count them once, and again after the rooster crows in the morning. They also count the same number. When there are not many prisoners, no one will be arranged to keep vigil, but obviously These days are not included in this list, so two people have to stay vigil every night. The warden is away, and the old man makes arrangements... These are not written down in writing, but are passed down orally.
"I have to say something, clerk." Xisen has no dissatisfaction with the true believers. "If you see other guards taking something from the prisoners, just tell me. There is no need to write it down on paper."
Chen Yi suddenly realized, didn't this sentence mean that he should keep it secret? He also understood the meaning and nodded slightly.
Xisen breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile: "The work goes well. May God bless you, clerk. I will show you around the prison later."
After Xisen showed Chen Yi around the prison and introduced the jailers to him one by one, Chen Yi turned around and sorted out the documents. After clarifying the categories, he looked up and looked out the window. It was afternoon before he knew it.
There was a noise outside the prison, and Chen Yi hurriedly walked out and folded his sleeves.
As soon as I got out of the prison, I saw a group of prisoners in tattered clothes with their hands bound. There were men and women among them, with miserable and sad faces, and thin bodies. The leader was an old man with gray hair, and the only thing he wore was a thin piece of clothing. Wearing a monk's robe, his waist is slightly bowed, and his old face looks peaceful.
A few unfamiliar pagans were behind, arguing about something in Yawen.
"That girl ran away, how did you keep her in custody?" the guard captain cursed.
"I treated the child well according to the requirements in the scriptures, and tied my hands with a thin rope." The scolded guard said harshly, "Who knew that little pig-raised kid cut the rope on his hands?"
Xisen, who contacted them, had a look of helplessness on his face. He just wanted to get over it as quickly as possible, saying: "Bring these people in first, and leave the girl behind. I'll report it to the superiors to find a solution. Hurry up, otherwise the registration will not be completed before the curfew."
.....................
Those true believers are really going to be burned at the stake.
Xisen told Chen Yi exactly about this.
Even though she had been mentally prepared, Chen Yi was still shocked.
"This is going to spread all over the streets," he said.
"It's all the priest's fault. Even if they are heretics, I hope their souls rest in peace in the fire." Xisen shrugged and said, "It's almost time. Go and register. The charges are all blasphemy."
Nodding, Chen Yi picked up the ink bottle and quill.
Pushing open the wooden door of the corridor, Xisen and another jailer were guarding outside. The narrow corridor, the iron fence and the gray wall were separated by a stone's throw. The high-hanging small window revealed the afternoon light, which was thin and weak. It was like a prison cell. It was so dark that Chen Yi almost missed the prisoner in the first cell.
"Hello, may our Lord bless you." A plain and gentle voice sounded in the cell.
Hearing the sound, Chen Yi turned his head, and there sat an old man wearing a monk's robe. He was locked up here alone.
"I am a clerk, and I also wish you to be blessed."
"Are you here to register us prisoners?" the old man asked kindly.
"Yes, you are..." Chen Yi hesitated for a moment and speculated: "Father Christopher?"
Chen Yi knelt down, unscrewed the ink bottle, and dipped the pen tip in ink.
"Yes, I am Christopher. I am a commoner and have no surname."
Christopher explained that he seemed to know something about this and was very cooperative in telling him his origin, height, etc., as well as a brief life story.
When Chen Yi's writing came down to guilt, Christopher stopped speaking.
"Mr. Clerk, I have never blasphemed." Christopher said as he watched Chen Yi finish the last word.
"I wrote as asked, Father."
Chen Yi raised his head and found Christopher staring at him calmly.
"I sympathize with you, Mr. Clerk, and may my Lord bless you."
It was as if what he just said was just to inform, not to defend.
"I try my best to save everyone according to what my Lord said." Christopher smoothed his monk's robe, "How much I love Him, only He knows."
